Fruit-grading machine.



R. D. VAN DUYNB.

FRUIT GRADING MACHINE.

APPLIQATION FILED DEO.12, 1011.

1,031,403. 1 Patented 1372,1912.

I .f, x 7 16 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD D. VAN DUYNE, OF EAST HIGHLANDS, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR '10 GOLD BUCKLE ASSOCIATION, OF EAST HIGHLANDS, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION .OF

CALIFORNIA.

FRUIT-GRADING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 12', 1911. Serial No. 665,396.

To all whom it may concern r Be it known that I, RICHARD D. VAN DUYNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Highlands, in the county of San Bernardino and State of California, have character described of simple form and construction in which the grading elements may be easily and accurately adjusted for the purpose of grading the fruit according to the desired sizes.

Anotherobject of my invention is to construct a fruit grader of the class described in which few moving parts of light construction may be utilized, thereby reducing the power re uired to a minimum.

p Other 0 jects and advantages will appear hereinafter from the following specification. Referring to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only :-Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a grader embody- 3 ing a form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional View on line 02 -00 Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line av -as Fig. 2. Fig.

4 is a diagrammatic plan view of the grader. The grader comprises a longitudinally disposed table consisting of a flat member or board 1 and an inclined member or board 2,

the upper surface of which forms a'delivery means from the member 1 to a series of bins. The member 1 forms a supporting member for the upper run of an endless belt or conveyer 4, which belt 4 is supported at each end on wheels or drums 5 and 6 mounted on suitable brackets 3 secured to each end 7 of the table, the drum 6 being driven in any suitable manner in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 3 through the medium of the drum supporting shaft 7. The table is supported b means of suitable uprights 8 which exten above the table and are con- 0 nected at their upper ends b means of cross pieces 9. Fruit is delivere onto the belt 4 by any suitable hopper means indicated at 10 and is retained on the belt by means of longitudinal ribs 11 formed adjacent the opposlte edges of the belt. Should the fruit I 31 reely movable therein and having one crowd on the belt, however, sufiiciently to cause the fruit to ride over the ribs "11, means are provided for returning the fruit to the belt which consist of longitudinal members orguides 12 and 13, respectively, at each side of the belt which are secured to the member 1 and are also each provided with inclined faces 14 arranged in such a manner as to cause the fruit to run back on the belt.

Supported on the cross pieces 9 in suitable brackets 16 is a shaft 17 which extends longitudinally throughout the length of the table and is provided at one end with a pulley 18 adapted to receive a driving belt 19 for the purpose of driving the shaft 17 in the direction of the arrow indicated in Fig. 2.

Mounted at intervals on the shaft 17 is a series offruit distributing disks 5O consisting of a pair of plates 20 secured together by suitable screws 21, each plate on the inner side being provided wit-h a circular recessed portion 22 in the periphery thereof, so that when the plates are secured together, as shown in Fig. 3, the recessed portions '22 form a circular groove adapted to receive a circular strip or band of rubber 23, or other similar material, forming a frictional means for engaging the fruit as it travels on the belt 4. The circular band or strip 23 is beveled, as indicated at 24, for the purpose of presenting a suitable bearin face to engage the fruit, so that the band 23 engages the fruit over a substantial portion of its surface resulting in a good frictional contact; at the same time reducing the wear on the band. Each distributing disk is secured to the shaft 17 by means of a suitable set screw 26 which extends through a hub 27 on one of the plates 20.

Directly under each distributing disk, the member 1 is provided with an opening 30 ada ted to receive an adjusting plate or leaf end curved downwardly, as indicated at 32 in Fig. 3. The leaf 31 is pivoted at its other end on a suitable pintle 33 supported in a plate 34 which. is set into the upper face of the member 1 and secured thereto by means of a suitable screw 35. The leaf 31 is supported by means of a supporting member which consists of a pivoted lever or bar 36 mounted on a pin 37 in brackets 38 secured to the underside of the member 2 of the table. The inner end of the lever 36 is turned upwardly, as indicated at 43, and.

rests against the underside of the leaf 31. The outer end of the lever 36 is flattened and extends under a set screw or bolt 40, the lower end. ofwhich engages the upper face of the end 39 of the lever. The set screw 40 is supported in a suitable plate 41 internally threaded to engage the threads of the set screw 40 and provided with an upwardly extending circular flange 42 surrounding the I head of the set screw 40 and extending a short distance thereabove for the purpose of protecting the head of the set screw. The

flange 42 prevents inadvertent turning of the set screw,which would change the relation of the grading elements, and also serves-the pur pose of preventing manipulation of the set screw except by a special wrench. With the construction just described the screw 40 may site each distributing disk throughout the' length the table.

The device operates in the following manner: The fruit delivered on the belt 4 by means of the hopper 10 is carried by the belt in the direction of the arrows shown in Figs. 3 and 4 under the distributing disks thereabove. The disks 5O rotating in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 2 cause the fruit coming into engagement therewithto be thrown off the belt by frictional contact between the disks and the fruit. The fruit thus thrown off the belt 4 passes through the opening45 in the guide 13 onto the inclined member 2 of the table, from whence the fruit rolls into the respective bins 47. The distribution of the fruit according to the size is arranged by adjusting the space between the face 24 of the distributing disks and the upper or carrying face of the belt. 4, which adjustment is accomplished by operating the respective set screws40 for each plate 31 under the belt 4, thereby raising the belt at points directly under each distributing disk. The largest fruit on the belt 4'is delivered into the first bin 47 by means of the first distributing disk, andthesmaller fruit passes thereunder until all of the fruit according to the size thereof is distributed into the respective bins, the belt under the second distributing disk being raised byv the plate 31 thereunder so that thedistance between the belt and the distributing disk is slightly less, approximately an eighth of an inch, than the dismemos tance between the belt and the first distributing disk, so that as the fruit passes under the second distributing disk the next smaller size of fruit is engaged bythe second distributing disk and thrown ofl the belt, through the opening 45 in the guide 13, and onto the member 2 of the table from whence it runs into the second bin or hopper. The belt under each succeeding disk is raised a gradually increasing height so that each succeeding disk removes from the belt all the fruit of the next succeeding lower grade or size, the under sized fruit passing under the last distributing disk and being delivered by thebelt into any suitable hopper or receptacle, not shown. The oranges or fruit being graded are of uneven contour and the beveled face of each band 23 permits the adjustment for size to be made at a point midway between each side of the band, so that should an uneven portion of the fruit come into engagement with the band, the surface at either side of the central portion thereof would engage the fruit and remove the same from the belt, so that each distributing disk removes from the belt fruit of the same size or grade.

What I claim is 1. A fruit grader comprising a longitudinally movable fruit carrier, fruit engaging disks above said carrier, and means for independently raising or lowering said carrier under each of said disks.

2. A fruit grader comprising a longitudinally movable fruit carrier, a rotatable shaft supported above said carrier, a plurality of fruit distributing disks on said shaft above said carrier, and means for independently raising or lowering a portion of sald carrier under each distributing disk.

3. A fruit grader comprising an endless belt adapted to carry fruit thereon, a rotatable shaft above said belt, a .plurality of fruit distributing disks on said shaft, and means engaging the upper run of said belt below each distributing disk to vary the space between said belt and the respective distributing disks.

, 4. A fruit grader comprising an endless belt, a table arranged to support one run of said belt, means for driving said belt, a rotatable shaft supported above said belt, a-

' 5. A fruit grader comprising an endless belt, a table arranged to support one run of said belt, means for driving said belt, a rotatable shaft supported above said belt longitudinally thereof, a plurality of distributing disks secured to said shaft, means supported raise or lower the portionof the belt there under, said means consisting of a leaf adapt- .by said ,table under each distributing disk to.

ed to engage the lower face of said belt, and means for raising and lowering said plate. 7

6. A fruit grader comprising an endless .belt, a table arranged to support one run of ing disks secured to said shaft, a leaf pivand means for rotating said sha said belt, a e

oted to said table under each distributing disk adapted to engage the lower face of the belt thereunder, a pivoted arm adapted to support said leaf, and means for raising and lowering said arm.

7. A fruit ader comprising an endless belt, a table a a ted to support one run of at each side of said belt on said table, a rotatable shaft above said belt longitudinally thereof, a plurality of distributing disks secured to said shaft, a leaf pivoted to said table under the belt thereon and below each of said distributing disks, a' ivoted arm adapted to engage the lower si e of each of said leaves to raise and lower the same, means for raising and lowering said arm, means-for drivinfg said belt,

- 8. A fruit grader comprising a table, an

endless belt having one run thereof sup ort- M ed on said table, a guide at each side 0 said belt on said table a rotatable fshaft supported above said belt longitudinally thereof, a plurality of distributing .disks secured to said shaft, opgoslte each distributing disk to form a (1 'very opening therethrough, a leaf pivot- .ed to said table in engagement with the under face of the belt thereonbelow each distributing disk, an arm pivotally mounted on said table adapted to raise and lower said leaf, and means for rockin said arm to raise or lower the-belt on sai leaf. 9. A fruit grader comprising an endless belt adapted tocarry fruit thereon, a rota table shaft thereof, a plurality of fruit distributing disks secured to said shaft, each distributing disk having a beveled face of frictional engagement material, and means under each distri utin disk to raise or lower the portion of the elt thereunder. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at East Highlands, California, this 2 day of Dec., 1911.

RICHARD D. VAN DUYNE.

In presence of- J. L. Jormson, C. S. Harm/non.

above said belt longitudinally one of said guides being cut away 

